[Closed] What Ford Focus for £2k

IMO at £2k you would be better get a Mondeo 2.0 diesel. Better mpg, more space etc etc, more car for your money.

Its mainly for the wife to use and I think the Mondeo is a bit too big for her to navigate the local streets.

IMO at £2k you would be better get a Mondeo 2.0 diesel. Better mpg, more space etc etc, more car for your money.

But if it's

for mainly city driving up to 6k miles a year.

Don't know which sort of Focus though, other than probably a blue one. 😉

If you don't know much about them, why do you want one?

IME - when buying cheap cars, buy only on condition/12m MOT/fit for purpose and make/colour/mileage/age/etc or all irrelevant.

Just make sure it's one that's got the heated screen 😀

I want one because there seam to be 1 million of them on the road so they must be at least ok. Parts are easily avail and I assume pretty much every garage have worked on them. The estates seam really big.

I have only owned jap cars in the past - generally reliable but when things do go wrong - the cost of repairs are high as parts are expensive.

And there aren't many jap cars with the equiv estate (corolla/civic/mazda3)

TBH - I am a bit adverse to very modern cars - the complexity is good for fuel consumption/safety but most nightmare are from crazy electrical faults.

What Ford Focus for £2k

For city driving and 6k a year do not buy the diesel as it will just end up causing you problems. As above look for one in good condition probably the 1.6. Just remember that buying anycar around that price bracket is a gamble.
In general the focus should be a relitively safe bet and if it does go wrong they are cheap to fix.

I'd go for the 1.6 petrol zetec with winter pack (heated screen, mirrors, nostrils etc). My wife had one from new to 5 years and it was fantastic. Not the fastest nor most economical but very solid and no silly DPF, DMF, turbo or injectors to alarm you with a mult ££££'s bill.

The MK1 is the best handling but possibly a bit long in the tooth now.

Heated screen? Is having aircon sufficient?

Ford heated screens are fantastic. Should be standard on every car.

If you can get it, the heated screen is a treat in winter. It defrosts the screen in under a minute without scraping or messing about.

Aircon wont shift ice 😀 . Think ford own the patent on heated front screen.

I'll be selling mine soon. 1.6 auto.

Yep 2k cars means it will be destined to die on my watch. But the narrow street where I live means new scratches on the body work on a weekly basis.

I figure £3k to spend on a car means 2k on a car + 1k on potential issues.

My prev 2 cars have lasted 10y and 4y respectively. The 10y was very reliable, the 4y much less so though they were exactly the same car.

Pook - if its in my range give us a pm.

Auto upside; less likely to have been thrashed. Down side; fool economy and/or if it does go wrong....

i would defo avoid a diesel if you are only doing 6k a year. you can't go wrong with a 1.6 petrol really

it'll be about £1k. I've been using it for work and as a bike car but need something bigger as I've got a little lad now - it'd be perfect as a runaround.

mot til Feb, not sure of tax but I'll check. '04, 82k, 1.6 auto, 3dr

We've had three focus's between my partner and I.
I previously had an MK1 petrol estate, and my partner a MK1 and now MK2 diesel hatchbacks. Very reliable, not huge list of fault to watch, or at least, the same as all cars of this age & type. As above, for only 6000 miles usage, I'd go petrol as fuel costs will be negligible but initial price high for diesels.. I'd recommend one with the heated screen (stops sudden mist up, and unfreezes the screen/mirrors in winter).
Oh and for all 'older' car, check all switches & especially the air-con (don't pay extra for this and find it doesn't work!)

Ford heated screens are fantastic. Should be standard on every car.

Except, I can see the elements and find them hugely distracting. Gold leaf demisting was the way to go, just the cost was bonkers so it got restricted to aircraft and locomotive windows.

1.6 Petrol definitely: just make sure it's had all or even more than the scheduled oil changes. Also check for the usual ford tappety rattle and blue smoke that indicates the demise of its valve stem seals.

Personally I find the 1.6 a little underpowered and you have to work the engine a little harder as a result.
Mothers 2001 1.6 Ghia hatchback is a lovely car otherwise.
£2k should get you a reasonable car. Just make sure (as with any car) thats its been looked after well. They seem pretty bombproof in my experience.

Range Rovers had the heated windscreens circa 1992.

As others have said go for the 1.6 petrol. If you can get the Ghia or LX. ABS didn't come as standard across the range until 2003 surprisingly.

Although if you really need the space I'd say the Fiesta is a better bet for your usage.

dont get a 1.8 petrol if they did them in that year, crap MPG

I never found my 1.8 to be excessive rubbish on MPG, not hugely frugal admittedly, but the constantly rising VED was the most annoying bit.

Trouble with suggesting a smaller car (fiesta), is that they can be more expensive as small cars are always said to be in more demand.

Mark 1 facelift, 1.6 zetec.

I have one of the above, does high 30's - 40mpg driven averagely, mine has done 80,000 miles in last 4 years, now up to 125,000, has only had brake master cylinder & rear wiper motor, other than that all routine servicing/wear & tear.

Great cars for the money, I'd say £2k should get you a low mileage 2004/late registered 2005.

I wouldn't hesitate to get one.

Edit: Would also add that they are pretty roomy and back seats fold flat pretty easily, can fit a fair amount of kit in (including bike with front wheel out).

I never found my 1.8 to be excessive rubbish on MPG, not hugely frugal admittedly, but the constantly rising VED was the most annoying bit.

it was just a shock going form the 1.4tdci diesel!! 😯

Sorry i used to have a 1.6 Focus, the mpg was shocking around town. Mondeo consistently 45 ish around town. No cambelt to change either.

IMO Mondy is also easier to park/better vision than Focus

Get a later car, post 2003 and the VED is lower. Daughters 2000 Zetec 1600 Is only £50 a year less than my ST Focus. Petrol all the way. diesels with injectors and pumps write a car off. Plenty out there, if you see something that looks a bit odd, walk away. 1600's can be a good engine and bad. We had a 2001 estate blacktop engine ( later better engine) went like stink. Had to hand it back when I resigned. We bought a 2002 and was nothing like the other. Brakes are £32 for discs and pads from Eurocarparts as just done the daughters. Check the cambelt is changed at 100k miles or 10 years. Cared for car might be done earlier.
Look for rot in rear arches and rear doors. Other than that they are great cars.

I had the Focus ST 170, not very economical but a lovely car to drive.

Very tempted to get another.